


i wanna live inside your mind next to your favorite song

by cryptidsoap



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Fictober, Fluff, M/M, So do I, bassist!hao, but they rock, considerable ammount of sleeveless mingyu, hao gyu wonu jun and shua are a band, i just needed to add that joke ok, i know you guys love bassist hao, jun and shua dont really have any lines in this, pls dont let the summary fool you this is not dirty At All, uhh nct's jaehyun is there as an important part of seokmin's high school years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-28 23:46:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16252265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryptidsoap/pseuds/cryptidsoap
Summary: “you know... bassists do it deeper?”or, how seokmin refuses to fall in love with the boy he sees everyday on the train, but ends up doing it ayway after meeting him on his roommate's band's rehearsal.





	i wanna live inside your mind next to your favorite song

**Author's Note:**

> this is soooooo late i apologize Deeply now im one day behind on my fictober schedule. okay. i'll catch up eventually  
> so this is both mt day 8 of fictober (prompt: first meeting) and my first collaboration to the seokhao tag!!!!! ik its dry!!!! and im here to fix it!!!! i hope this 5k monster is good enough..... and im aware the tenses are all messed up.... i apologize. w/o further ado pls enjoy~

On all the two years he spent riding the subway on his way home from college, Seokmin learned a few things.   
  
One: he had really good balance.   
  
Honestly, when you have to stand on a crowded wagon, backpack heavier than recommended by doctors and a handful of art supplies you never really found a way to carry properly, you find out that your legs are your most reliable friends. Don't laugh — when there's no kind, helpful, seated stranger to offer to carry Seokmin's backpack on their lap, he has to place it on the floor, between his feet, one hand holding the nearest handlebar and the other clutching whatever recipient he decided to carry his art supplies in.   
  
So, with the course of two years, Seokmin found it easier and easier not to stumble when the train came to a halt. He liked to joke around his friends saying it was his hidden talent.   
  
Two: he really, really loved music.   
  
Despite being an architecture major, Seokmin has been in close touch with music his whole life. He remembers being a child and listening to jazz with his grandmother every weekend, when his parents took him to visit her. He remembers signing up to his middle school's Talent Showcase and singing some random love song that was really popular at the time.   
  
He remembers meeting his current best friend Seungkwan through music, in freshman year of high school, and going to his first concert — with Seungkwan, of course — on sophomore year, and belting out lyrics he would never really forget, no matter how much time would pass.   
  
He remembers trying to get into a music course in college. He remembers his shaky legs and sweaty palms before singing what should've been the song of his life, the one that'd open the doors for him to study and work with what he loved the most.   
  
He remembers not being approved, and crying, lots of crying, Seungkwan by his side, ocasionally rubbing a hand on his back. He also remembers getting over it, the decision to keep his chin up, and finally making peace with the issue, heart no longer aching when he heard that particular Gm chord playing through his earbuds.   
  
And now, leaning his head on the train's window — on a rare, blissful occasion in which he managed to find a vacant seat — and observing the flow of people coming in and out of the platform, earbuds blasting an anthem-esque pop song, Seokmin was aware of how much music meant to him. He could look out the window and pretend he was a star in a movie during a dramatic shot; or he could forget his worries for a few minutes while an upbeat track played.    
  
Music was able to shape his life. Perhaps not in the way he originally wanted, but still a good one, and Seokmin was grateful.   
  
Three: boys with questionable hoodies and old ratty beanies can be very, very intriguing.   
  
That one he didn't learn until a few months ago. Hoodie Boy was an incognit; all Seokmin knew about him was that he owned at least five different colors of the same hoodie and got off two stations before his own.   
  
What part of him made him so intriguing to Seokmin's eyes? Was it the hoodie factor? I mean, who even owns the same hoodie in multiple colors? Was it some kind of uniform? Was he in a gang? Did he go to the same university as Seokmin? If yes, what did he study? What are the secrets hiding behind Hoodie Boy's bright doe eyes?   
  
When he told Seungkwan about Hoodie Boy, his reaction was basically:   
  
“Seokmin, you have a crush on him.”   
  
Seokmin didn't, however, have a crush on Hoodie Boy. He was just curious. Intrigued. Those kind of feelings weren't particularly good or bad, they were neutral, so Seokmin couldn't possibly be crushing on the boy. Right?   
  
“But you just told me he intrigues you and he's cute.”, Seungkwan had said.   
  
“Yes, because I have eyes.” Seokmin argued. “It doesn't mean I like him. How could I develop feelings for someone without knowing their name or exchanging words with them?”   
  
“Well, you seemed pretty invested on Jaehyun back in high school when all you knew was his name and that he was, and I quote, 'dreamy, charming, perfect'.”   
  
“Don't pull the Jaehyun card. It looks like you're plus-fouring me.”   
  
Despite Seokmin's way of talking about it, the Jaehyun incident wasn't nearly as disastrous as it could've been. See, back when he was a pure and naive high schooler, Seokmin thought he was straight. Girls were really pretty, and he had no doubt about that — until a new boy with silky hair, cute dimples and perfect smile came into his life and, oh, shit, boys are really pretty too.   
  
Sue him — Jaehyun was his gay awakening (well, bi) at the ripe age of fifteen, and Seokmin couldn't help but get really shy and awkward whenever he was around, which caused him to spend months without exchanging a single conversation with the boy. When he managed to build up courage to say hi, it was when it all went down; it seemed like what was a little crush had doubled in intensity, and all it took was one smile from the other boy to send him spiraling into a black hole.

 

In the end, Seokmin confessed, on a bright Wednesday afternoon, after classes ended. He was told, with a sad smile, that his feelings were reciprocated, but Jaehyun would be flying next week to the United States, where his family was currently living, so they were short on time to have anything between them. The following week, when they parted ways, was with a quick peck on the lips and a phone number, “just in case”.

 

After that, Seokmin refrained from falling for people at somewhat-first sight. So no, he didn't have a crush on Hoodie Boy.

 

Seungkwan laughed when he told him that.

 

“Just you wait, Seok. Just you wait.”

  
  
  


Seokmin doesn't fall for people without knowing their name and exchanging a conversation with them, but he ends up falling for Hoodie Boy. And it's all Kim Mingyu's fault.

 

Kim Mingyu was Seokmin's roommate. He was a culinary student, with a passion for music and a garage band. He always talked to Seokmin about his band, how they gathered in his boyfriend's (parents') garage and played their favorite songs. He always asked Seokmin to come and watch their rehearsals, but he always declined, not wanting to intrude.

 

On that particular Saturday, Mingyu decided Seokmin would come watch them play, whether he liked it or not.

 

“Seok, please, I promise it's really fun! We play a lot of songs from that band you like, Panic-something. We have snacks! I want you to meet my friends…” he pouted. He did that a lot. He thought it was cute.

 

“You really can't keep batting your eyelashes to help you get your way.” Seokmin sighed, defeated. “I'll go.”

 

“YAY!!” Mingyu hugged him. “You're the best. You'll love it. We leave in two hours.”

  
  


They arrive at the place of rehearsal before everyone else. Well, not everyone - Mingyu's boyfriend, Wonwoo, was there already, setting up the place. He greets them warmly, placing a kiss on his boyfriend's cheek and smiling at Seokmin, shaking his hand with both of his own.

 

“Where's everyone else?” Mingyu asked.

 

“Junhui and Joshua are on their way, Minghao ran into some trouble but he's coming.”

 

Junhui and Joshua were, respectively, the lead singer and the rhythm guitarist. They lived together - Junhui was a social studies major and Joshua studied literature, like Wonwoo. 

 

Minghao, Seokmin found out, wasn't studying anything; he, like Junhui, was Chinese, and left his hometown to pursue his dream to be a dancer. Being in the field his whole life, he easily landed a job on a studio, teaching classes to earn money and open his own. On the side, he played bass on Mingyu’s band.

 

The singer and guitarist arrived 10 minutes or so after Mingyu and Seokmin. Junhui was astonishingly handsome, with jet black hair, round eyes, wide shoulders and a seemingly perfect nose. Joshua was just as good-looking as he was; soft catlike eyes, dyed blonde hair and gentle smile adorned by snakebite piercings. They were both really friendly, smiling at Seokmin and asking him things about himself while they waited for Minghao to arrive.

 

Joshua was playing a little something on the guitar to kill time when Minghao arrived.

 

And Seokmin’s knees faltered.

 

Minghao was a lanky boy, with delicate doe eyes and a button nose, black hair covering his forehead. His face was familiar to Seokmin, and of course it was, because Minghao was wearing a red hoodie and a ratty black beanie, and Seokmin saw that button nose and those doe eyes everyday at the subway train.

 

Hoodie Boy finally had a name.

 

And Seokmin was most likely doomed.

 

Minghao said hi to him, just as friendly as anyone else, not showing any signs of recognizing him from the subway. They shook hands — Minghao’s hands were a little cold, but very pretty, despite the calloused fingers — and the Chinese boy went to where the rest of his bandmates were, and began tuning his bass. Seokmin sat on a little stool in front of the band, phone in hand, ready to show his instagram followers how cool (or not) his new friends were.

 

Seokmin found out all of the band members had little quirks while playing. Mingyu, for example, discarded his jacket right after playing the first song, arms on full display due to the sleeveless shirt underneath (Seokmin didn’t miss the wink he threw at Wonwoo’s direction after throwing the jacket behind him). Junhui had the habit — unconscious or not — of leaning on the mic stand while singing, and Joshua poked his tongue out a lot, sometimes fiddling with his piercings. Every time there was an off-beat during the song, Wonwoo followed it with a tilt of his head to the side, showing he had all the song’s details memorized.

 

With Minghao, however, the thing was different. Minghao did a lot.

 

For starters, he took off his beanie, ruffling his black hair with one hand while the other held the bass hanging from his shoulders. It struck Seokmin that he’d never seen Minghao without a beanie before. He looked good. Second, he couldn’t stay still. He was always moving to the song, either headbanging (if it was a fast song), swaying his shoulders (if it was a more rhythmic piece) or even full-on dancing. Seokmin figured it was the dancer in him, because Minghao practiced like he was on stage, and he would be lying if he said he didn’t find it slightly attractive. During one song, the Chinese boy swinged his bass around himself, the instrument held by it’s strap, and managed to catch on the perfect timing to start playing a rather intricate line. That made Seokmin’s heart stutter a few beats.

 

The rest of the rehearsal went smoothly — they really did play a lot of songs Seokmin knew, and he found himself jamming along. He also found his attention drifting to Minghao more than he’d like to admit, but let’s not mention it.

 

They even serve the snacks Mingyu promised in the end. Seokmin compliments the band between bites of his ham sandwich, and almost chokes on his watermelon juice at the sight of a smiling Minghao, lips stretching from ear to ear, dimples showing and giggles coming out of his mouth over one of Wonwoo’s dad jokes. It wasn’t even funny, but if it got Minghao to smile like that, Seokmin would give the older boy some credit.

 

On the drive back to their dorm, Mingyu asked Seokmin if he liked spending time with the band. He said yes, mind wandering to how Minghao’s fluffy hair bounced along with him while he jumped around during “Na Na Na”, and how soft the black locks would feel if he ran his hand through them.

 

Seokmin doesn't fall for people without knowing their name and exchanging a conversation with them, but Hoodie Boy now has a name, a voice and a beautiful smile, and he can’t help but sigh dreamily as he feels himself fall into the same black hole he fell during high school.

  
  
  
  


He keeps going with Mingyu to the rehearsals. Contrary to what it may seem, it’s not solely because of Minghao — Seokmin genuinely enjoys being around them and enjoys watching them play. He even helps designing a flyer for their upcoming gig on a local mall.

 

Seeing the band every week consequently leads to forming a friendship with the members, and Seokmin is glad they took him into their little squad despite him being an outsider. He finds out common interests with some of them — he and Junhui have similar music tastes, Joshua is also into anime, Wonwoo also likes to sing, but never does and Minghao is a visual arts enthusiast. They even add Seokmin to their groupchat, in an unanimous decision. All in all, everything about this new friendship rolls smoothly.

 

Seokmin still gets a little nervous around Minghao. He can’t help it; he wills himself to act normal everytime the bassist is talking to him, and most of the time he succeeds, but not stuttering his words doesn’t mean his brain isn’t waxing poetry about the younger’s eyes. Being aware of that, his heart starts beating really fast, and all of his self-control falters. Minghao must think he’s a weirdo.

 

He keeps riding the subway to get home, and he keeps seeing Minghao in the sea of people, with his colorful hoodies and new aspects that Seokmin only noticed after meeting him properly for the first time. For example, he mouths the lyrics to whatever song he’s listening to, just like he does on the rehearsals. Seokmin never approaches him, afraid he’ll make a fool of himself. He just watches from afar.

  
  
  


One day, Seokmin and Mingyu arrived at Wonwoo’s garage to find it almost empty, save from a focused Minghao playing an acoustic guitar, sitting on the floor.

 

“Where’s everyone else?” Mingyu asked.

 

“Cancelled.” Minghao looked up at them. “Junhui has a sore throat and Wonwoo’s allergies attacked today. I didn’t see their messages, so I’m here. I guess you two didn’t check the groupchat either.” he smirked.

 

“Yeah, we didn’t. Where’s Wonwoo?” 

 

“Inside, probably watching TV or sleeping.” he smiled knowingly at Mingyu. “No, he won’t mind you barging in. Go cuddle your boyfriend.”

 

Mingyu did just that, smiling at them and running out of the garage to enter through the first door. Minghao resumed his playing, which made Seokmin realize they were now alone. The awkwardness had settled in.

 

He sat against a wall, keeping a safe distance from the other boy.

 

“Do you play?” Minghao asked after a few minutes, slim fingers never ceasing the plucking of strings.

 

“No.” Seokmin shook his head. “I tried to, but I have no coordination. I didn’t know  _ you _ played, though.”

 

“I’ve been playing guitar for, like, ever. I only started bass five years ago, give or take, but I play guitar since I was 10.”

 

“How old are you now?”

 

“I turn 20 in november.” he smiled. “You?”

 

“20. We’re technically the same age.”

 

Minghao hummed. “What about singing? I’ve heard you mumbling Mr. Brightside before.”

 

“I, uh, I like to sing, but I’m not good enough to the point of telling people I sing.”

 

“Let’s see about that.” the younger tapped his hands on the guitar before positioning his hands back on it — he had stopped playing at some point. “Do you know Grenade?”

 

Seokmin nodded.

 

“Do you think you could sing it?”

 

“Maybe…?”

 

“Good enough. I’ll give you the starting cue.”

 

He started playing the songs, and after 4 different chords, he nodded at Seokmin, signaling him to start singing. He was insecure, it’s been forever since he sang to anyone that wasn’t Seungkwan, and the fact that it was Minghao made him even more nervous. He was pretty sure his voice cracked a few times, but by the time it got to the high notes it was stable enough and they came out decent, not good, but not faltering either. Minghao started adding backing vocals here and there, and  _ that _ almost made Seokmin lose his rhythm altogether. The younger's voice, even if on a lower tone, sounded like how freshly baked madeleines tasted, and Seokmin wanted to hear it forever.

 

The song ended on a D minor and Minghao let it rang for a few seconds before turning to Seokmin with a surprised face.

 

“Your voice.”

 

“Is it that bad?”

 

“It’s fucking  _ angelic _ .” he put the guitar aside to move forward and hold Seokmin’s shoulders. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything sound that beautiful. Why the hell aren’t you doing this for a living?”

 

“You listen to Junhui’s voice every week, though?”

 

“It’s different. His voice is like a horde of sirens seducing you to get in the deep ocean. Your voice is like the main singer of a church choir met a pop diva and decided to join forces. I can’t really get enough of either, but your voice is really, really beautiful.”

 

Seokmin blushed to the tips of his ears, ducking his head to hide it and muttering a small “thanks”. Minghao’s hands were still on his shoulders, and he felt the younger’s thumbs rubbing circles on his skin over the fabric of his shirt before letting go.

 

“Minghao.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“This is going to sound weird… But dont’t you remember me from anywhere?”

 

Minghao rested his cheek on his palm, thinking. “I don’t think so. Should I?”

 

“Not exactly? We, uh, take the subway at the same time on weekdays. You probably never noticed me before. I don’t blame you, I’m easy to miss, it’s just that… Forget it. But yeah, I’ve seen you on the train several times for the past months.”

 

“I’m a terrible person.” the younger sighed. “Sorry.”

 

“What are you saying sorry for?”

 

“For not noticing you even after we met! I get so caught up in my own world, you know, exhausted from the day, that I never pay attention to my surroundings. I’m really sorry.”

 

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.”

 

“Now, everytime you see me, please, feel free to approach me and say hi. We can stay together during the ride, as well. And sorry again for being a bad friend.”

 

“Don’t say that!” Seokmin said, alarmed tone in his voice. “Are we really friends?”

 

“Of course.” Minghao chuckled. “Do you want to be friends?”

 

“Yes! Yes, I want to be friends.”

 

“Then it’s sealed.” the younger touched Seokmin’s hand, giving it two light pats. “Come to me next time you see me on the train.”

 

Blushing from the contact, Seokmin nodded. Minghao made a motion to grab the guitar and resume his playing when Mingyu entered the garage, a red-nosed Wonwoo leaning onto his side, hugging his arm like a clingy koala.

 

“Seok, I’m leaving, I forgot I have to start an assignment today or I’ll never finish it.” Mingyu said, fishing his car keys from his pocket. “You coming?”

 

“Yeah, sure. Bye, Hao.” the nickname slipped out of his mouth before he knew it. Minghao, however, didn’t seem to mind — on the contrary. His lips stretched into a smile, showing his dimples.

 

“Bye, Seok. Bye, Gyu, good luck on your assignment.” he waved at both of them.

 

“Bye, Seokmin, sorry I didn’t talk to you today.” Wonwoo said, voice a little hoarse and consonants sounding funny due to his allergy-induced stuffy nose.

 

“It’s ok. Did you rest? Do you feel better?”

 

He sneezed. “A little. Thanks for asking.”

 

Mingyu kissed Wonwoo’s forehead. “Bye, babe, gotta go.”

 

“Bye, Gyu, thanks for keeping me company. Love you.” the older proceeded to leave multiple little pecks on Mingyu’s cheek, making him giggle. 

 

Minghao and Seokmin made disgusted noises at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

  
  
  


“What did you and Minghao do while you were alone at the garage?” Mingyu asked on the drive back to their dorm.

 

“He played guitar and we talked.”

 

“Just that?”

 

“I sang a song with him. He said my voice is pretty.”

 

“Boooring. I thought you two would’ve, like, kissed or something.”

 

“What? No!” Seokmin said, scandalized. “Mingyu, just because  _ your _ life seems straight out of a teenage romcom, doesn’t mean we live in one. People don’t go around kissing their friends in garages.

 

“But you like him, don’t you?”

 

The older sighed. “I do.”

 

“Cute.” Mingyu smiled. “I don’t know if he reciprocates, but, for all it’s worth, Minghao likes boys too, so don’t lose hope.”

 

“Okay…? I don’t need him to reciprocate, though. It’s just a crush, it’ll go away.”

 

“If you’re sure…”

  
  
  
  


The crush doesn’t go away. In fact, it grows even stronger.

 

After their talk, Minghao and Seokmin become closer. They see each other almost everyday on the subway, and they never run out of things to talk about. Seokmin learns Minghao is on his way back from the dance studio, and that the hoodies he wears are from there (if the “Highlight Dance Crew” on the back of the piece wasn’t enough clue. In his defense, Seokmin has never seen Minghao’s back when wearing the hoodie). When they manage to catch an empty train and find vacant seats, Seokmin shows Minghao some of his drawings. The younger boy showers him with endless compliments, marveling for solid five minutes at an A3 realistic black and white rendition of Boku no Hero’s All Might.

 

When he and Seungkwan meet for coffee between classes, on a Tuesday, Seokmin tells him about his current situation with Minghao.

 

“I like him so much, Kwannie.” he holds his head between his hands, elbows resting on the table. “What am I going to do?”

 

“First of all: I told you.” Seungkwan takes a sip of his latte. “Second of all, there’s not much you can do. You can either keep to yourself and regret it for the rest of your life or tell him.”

 

“But what if he doesn’t like me back? Which is obviously the case?”

 

“Then at least you were honest with him. Now, imagine, 10 years from now, you and Minghao reunite and he’s happily married, and he says ‘you know what’s funny? I really liked you back when we first met, I thought we could make it work but it never happened’. I don’t know about you, but I personally can feel secondhand regret seeping through my bones just from that thought.”

 

“Fuck, you’re right.”

 

“Of course I am, I’m your genius best friend.” he pinches Seokmin’s cheek. “Are you telling him?”

 

“Yeah, but I’ll wait for the right moment. It doesn’t feel like the time yet.”

 

Seungkwan shrughs. “Fair enough. Now, tell me, are any of your new friends single?”

  
  
  
  


The right moment ends up never happening.

 

What does happen, however, is the band being invited to play on a local festival, nothing too big, but still bigger than all the other gigs they’ve played before. They obviously invite Seokmin, both to attend the festival and to help them backstage. 

 

On the day of the festival, Seokmin is just as nervous as the band. He can see Mingyu rolling his shoulders every two minutes to get rid of an stress-induced back ache, Junhui jumping nonstop, Wonwoo cracking his knuckles repeatedly and Joshua rolling on the floor. Minghao is sitting on a corner, unmoving, knees drawn to his chest and eyes fixated on a spot on the floor. Seokmin’s own hands are sweating, as he knows how big and new this is for the five of them. 

 

He decides to give them a motivational speech. He talks about how far they’ve come, and how far they can still go, how they’re talented and dedicated to their art. In the end, they seem a little more relaxed, smiles starting to appear on their faces. They each give Seokmin a hug, thanking him for being such a good and supportive friend. Mingyu gets stuck on his jacket while removing it (drumming sleeveless is basically his signature now) and Joshua asks for help when applying more glitter on his cheekbones, so Seokmin helps them. He asks Wonwoo if he needs extra eyeliner and if Junhui’s choker is too tight on his neck, thankfully receiving a “no” from both of them. Minghao is doing just fine, outfit perfectly assembled, just finishing lacing his combat boots.

 

They all look like badass rockstars, and Seokmin feels like a proud dad.

 

Before going onstage, they hug Seokmin again. One by one, they leave the room, and cheers from the crowd can be heard, getting louder and louder. The last one to leave is Minghao. Before doing so, he holds Seokmin’s hand.

 

“Thank you for that. And for being with us. You’re a great friend, Seok.”

 

“No need to thank me. You’re all amazing and deserve all the love.”

 

“You’re the best.” he sighs. “Well, wish me luck.”

 

Seokmin wishes Minghao had never said that. He wishes Minghao didn’t look so good wearing a flannel, he wishes his crush on the other boy never happened. He wishes all that because he can’t help but lean in and press his lips to Minghao’s tenderly, slowly. He’s even brave enough to, after parting and whispering a “good luck”, peck those soft lips again, this time quickly.

 

Minghao doesn’t say anything. He only blinks, dumbfounded, and that’s enough for Seokmin to think he’s made a terrible decision. He leaves before Minghao does, from a different door, to watch them from the crowd.

  
  


The concert is amazing. Junhui’s voice is sweet enough to make all of the audience weak in their knees, Mingyu’s drums speak to everyone’s heart, Joshua and Wonwoo’s guitar distortions gives the crowd goosebumps, and Minghao’s bassline reverberates through everybody’s very core.

 

Minghao.

 

Minghao is a star.

 

They’re all stars, undoubtedly, but Minghao shines in a way that’s special to Seokmin, in a way that touches him and makes him numb to everything that isn’t Minghao, Minghao,  _ Minghao _ .

 

Seokmin couldn’t be more in love.

  
  
  
  


He ignores Minghao for a week after the concert.

 

He doesn’t talk to him after, blurting a half-assed excuse about needing to go. He ignores his texts, and everyone from the band groupchat as well. He’s so caught up in the possibility that he made a bad decision that he ends up actually screwing up.

 

Seungkwan yells at him through the phone.

 

_ “How the fuck do you kiss him, realize you’ve never been so in love, then proceed to ignore his whole existence?” _

 

“I’m a dumbass, that’s how. Seungkwan, I don’t know what to do. I can’t lose him.”

 

_ “Too late to think about that. Though, I don’t think you’ve lost him yet. Please, Seok, for all things holy, talk to this boy. Don’t wait for things to resolve on their own, because they won’t.” _

 

“Thank you. You’re the best friend ever.”

 

_ “I’ve been told. Now, go and snatch him before someone else does. You know what they say about band guys.” _

 

“No, I don’t. What do they say?”

 

_ “You know… Bassists do it deeper?” _

 

“Oh my God, I can’t believe what I just heard. You’re the worst. I hate you. I just cringed so hard right now, oh my G-“

 

_ “Just go talk to him! I’m hanging up so you stop stalling. Bye, Seokie, love you!” _

 

Rolling his eyes, Seokmin ends the call and opens the chat app to text Minghao.

  
  
  


They decide to meet up at a café. Minghao looks stunning as always, even if he’s just wearing plain jeans, an old t-shirt and a cardigan. Seokmin wants to cry just by looking at his sad and confused expression.

 

“I’m sorry.” it’s the first thing he says.

 

“Okay. Did I do something wrong?”

 

“No! I did.” he looks down. “I kissed you. Twice. I shouldn’t have- It was impulsive, and, by your reaction, you didn’t enjoy it, so…”

 

“I did.” Minghao says. “I did enjoy it. I was just so surprised, I never thought you’d like me back.”

 

“ _ Back _ ????” Seokmin almost chokes on his espresso. “You like me?”

 

“I thought it was obvious.” the younger smiles sheepishly. “And the reason why you started ignoring me was because you regretted kissing me because you don’t really feel the same.”

 

“No! I would never. I like you too. So, so, so much, it’s not even measurable anymore.”

 

Minghao giggles. “You’re so cute. It’s like you charm everyone into liking you just by shooting them a smile or saying something adorable, like you just did.”

 

“Stop, it’s not like that at all.”

 

“That’s how you charmed me.” he shrugs, smile never leaving his face.

 

“So can I talk about how you charmed me just by existing? And having a beautiful laugh? And being such an amazing person that I couldn’t spend a day without thinking about you?”

 

“Stop, you’re making me blush.”

 

“I’m glad I am. You’re adorable.”

 

Minghao hides his flushed face in his hands.

 

The atmosphere becomes lighter after that. They finish their coffees and take a walk around the block, looking at display windows and sometimes entering stores. They end up sitting on a park bench, hand in hand.

 

“You know, I really like you.” Minghao says, fingers tracing Seokmin’s wrist. “And I think I should claim back that kiss.”

 

“Then do it.”

 

Minghao does, holding the older’s chin and capturing his lips with his own. He kisses like he does everything else: with equal parts passion and confidence. Seokmin thinks he couldn’t get enough of it even if he wanted to.

 

“Wanna know what I’m thinking?” Minghao asks, after they stopped kissing and went back to watching the ducks on the park’s tiny lake.

 

“What?”

 

“Since we like each other so much, we should turn this into a real date.”

 

“That's a great idea.” Seokmin kisses the younger’s cheek.

  
  


That night, they go to Minghao’s apartment. They kiss again, and again, and they watch TV, and they play a few songs together on the acoustic guitar, and in the middle of Waterpark’s  _ Take her to the moon _ Minghao ditches the guitar to kiss Seokmin again. It’s like bliss.

 

It starts to get late, and Seokmin has to leave, and Minghao is very reluctant to let go, but he needs to. Before he leaves, though, Minghao kisses him again, hard, and asks him something. His answer comes in the form of another kiss.

 

That night, Seokmin leaves Minghao’s apartment with rosy cheeks, red lips, a fluttering heart and a newly-acquainted boyfriend.

 

He couldn’t be happier.

**Author's Note:**

> if you made it til here, congrats!!!!! ive been promising this fic for a while, glad i managed to write it. i also think this needs a spin-off? bc i really like this universe?? pls pls let me know what you think,,,,, feedback keeps me happy and motivated!! see you next fic uwu


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